Years ago, I sensed a call from God to shepherd his people.  At the time, I had no idea He was talking about children!  But that’s what ministry has been for me for the last ten years.  And though I travel a lot with my juggling show, I still get to shepherd one flock of…

This is my article that was recently published at www.cmbuzz.com Ten Ways to Recruit Volunteers This is in descending order, from least effective to most effective, with examples given for each…. 10. Mass Message Sent Via Social Media Please, please, please volunteer to watch our kids during church! #desperatekidminpastors #signupnow @everybodywithapulse @evenmyneighborsdog 9.    Last-Minute New…

I usually “oversee” the morning Children’s ministry at my church.  When I have all my volunteer teachers lined up, then I can float and make sure everything is doing fine in all the classes and offer my assistance where needed.  This morning, one of my PreSchool teachers called in sick, so I filled in her…

“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.  God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:40). Wow – talk about legacy.  I plan such measly goals in my life, thinking that I should take life…

Caillou wins!  At least, that is, in a recent study of 60 kids done by researchers at the University of Virginia for the journal Pediatrics.  The study found that kids who watched 9 minutes of Caillou as opposed to Spongebob did better on mental tests immediately following the TV viewing.  The kids who were assigned…

Here’s what I’m working on – I’m digging this thing up! http://www.amazon.com/Five-Miles-Away-World-Apart/dp/019983685X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315337439&sr=8-1

I wish I had a good “what to read” list for every city I visit. While looking for the Fodor’s guide to New York City at the library before our trip this past weekend, I stumbled upon Here is New York by E.B. White. I checked out both, along with an archaeology book and Stephen…

I usually “work” on Sundays.  That means I am responsible for leading the Children’s Ministry at Commonwealth Chapel or traveling and presenting my program at another church or event.  This morning, I was at Commonwealth Chapel.  We got to welcome a brand new lead pastor into our family this morning, Brandon Samuel.  He has been…

I have started to write down some of the funny things kids say. Working in a field that involves lots of kids, I hear quite a few quotable comments. The other day, I was juggling fire for a group of kids. As I was preparing to start juggling, I overheard two 7-8 year-old girls talking:…

Watch the video to find out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFcK9yBY590 Note: I remember learning about the physics of this idea in 7th grade and it is very fascinating! Thanks to Becky for shooting and posting this video.

Upward Sports is a great organization.  Each year, I have the privilege of speaking and entertaining at the closing ceremonies for many leagues around the nation.  The heaviest time of the year for these programs comes in late February and early March. Here is my schedule for the next week and a half.  I might…

We are officially redoing the kitchen.  This is a FULL remodel.  We bought the house as a fixer-upper and got a good price because of that.  The kitchen was the worst room in the house, and we have put up with it for a year and a half and now we are ready to do…

  When most people retell the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, one of two accounts are usually used as the source – the Gospel of Luke or the Gospel of Matthew.  The four Gospels are basically ancient biographies of Jesus Christ.  Matthew and Luke are very direct in their narratives of the birth…